Methodology & sources

Core principles

• Use measurable inputs where possible.
• Separate nominal capacity from usable capacity.
• Make packing-efficiency and access allowances explicit.
• Avoid presenting local prices as universal averages.
• Treat the result as a planning estimate, not a booking guarantee.

Vehicle capacity references

Truck-size comparisons are anchored to published U-Haul capacity figures for common U.S. rental categories. As of the latest review, U-Haul lists approximately 245 cu ft for a cargo van, 402 cu ft for a 10 ft truck, 764 cu ft for a 15 ft truck, 1,016 cu ft for a 20 ft truck and 1,682 cu ft for a 26 ft truck. Actual fleets and interior dimensions vary. This five-size reference list is intentionally non-exhaustive. Larger vehicles may be available by market and provider; U-Haul also publishes a 29 ft truck at 2,057 ft³. Check local availability, payload and access before booking.

Storage-size references

Public Storage lists standard sizes including 5×5, 5×10, 5×15, 10×10, 10×15, 10×20 and 10×25. Its size guide uses an 8-foot ceiling for many published cubic-capacity examples. Facilities vary, so users should verify the actual unit.

Box-size references

U-Haul publishes standard small, medium, large and extra-large box dimensions. MoveCalcLab does not assume that every box on the market matches those dimensions; the references are used to sanity-check typical packing assumptions.

External sources

• U-Haul — Moving Truck Sizes
• Public Storage — Storage Unit Size Guide
• U-Haul — Moving Box Guide
• Google Search Central — Structured Data Guidelines

Calculator formulas and planning assumptions

Moving Box Calculator

Home-size baselines: studio 18, 1 bedroom 26, 2 bedrooms 40, 3 bedrooms 60, 4 bedrooms 82, 5+ bedrooms 105 boxes. Lightly furnished means few stored belongings (×0.75); Average means everyday belongings (×1); Full includes well-stocked cupboards (×1.25); Very full includes extensive collections/storage (×1.5). Baseline households are 1–6 people respectively. Each extra person adds 6%; fewer people reduce the estimate, with a 90% household-factor floor. Round to whole boxes, minimum 8. Allocate 30% small, 45% medium and 20% large (rounded); the remaining boxes are wardrobe/specialty, reserving at least one. These are planning heuristics, not a measured inventory.

Moving Volume Calculator

Manual total-box mode uses an editable average of 0.085 m³ (3.00 ft³) per box. Size-breakdown mode instead uses the exact reference dimensions below, multiplied together. Small furniture defaults to 0.35 m³ (12.36 ft³), large furniture 1.05 m³ (37.08 ft³), large appliances 0.65 m³ (22.95 ft³), and awkward/outdoor items 0.45 m³ (15.89 ft³) each. Add the selected packing allowance to the raw sum; 15% means 10 m³ becomes 11.5 m³. Edit category averages under Adjust assumptions. Furniture still needs measuring for doors and loading.

Storage Unit Size Calculator

Required floor area = inventory volume ÷ ceiling height ÷ stacking efficiency × (1 + access allowance). Defaults: 8 ft / 2.44 m ceiling (exact 8 ft internally), 68% usable stacking and 10% aisle allowance. Choose the next nominal 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250 or 300 sq ft size; above this, round up to a 50 sq ft increment and ask the facility. Zero inventory requires no unit. Nominal dimensions are references, not guaranteed interior measurements.

Moving Vehicle Size Calculator

Inventory volume ÷ loading efficiency gives nominal capacity needed. At 75% efficiency, a nominal 400 ft³ vehicle provides 300 ft³ of usable space. Choose the first reference capacity that fits; above the largest, calculate multiple trips. Warn above 90% of a vehicle’s effective capacity. Zero volume requires no vehicle and zero trips. Capacity is cubic volume, not payload. Verify interior dimensions and weight limits separately; fleets vary.

Packing Tape Calculator

Total tape = box count × tape per box × (1 + waste percentage); rolls = total ÷ roll length, rounded up. Basic seal uses 5 ft / 1.524 m per box for top/bottom centre seams; Standard H-seal uses 7 ft / 2.134 m for centre and edge seams; Reinforced uses 10 ft / 3.048 m for additional strips. These editable planning allowances assume a mixed set of reference boxes, not measured seam lengths. Large/specialty cartons can require more. Select Custom for your measured amount.

Bubble Wrap Calculator

Small fragile item assumes 1 sq ft / 0.093 m² per layer; Medium 4 sq ft / 0.372 m²; Large 9 sq ft / 0.836 m². These are planning presets, not protective-performance guarantees. Total area = items × area per item × layers × (1 + overlap/waste). Linear length = total area ÷ roll width. Optional roll length gives whole rolls, rounded up; enter 0 if unknown. Adjust dimensions and protection for the actual object.

Moving Blanket Calculator

Blankets per item: sofa/armchair 3; table/desk 2; dresser/cabinet 2; bed frame/headboard 2; large appliance 2; other large piece 1.5. Multiply the sum by 1.10 and round up. Reference blanket: approximately 72 × 80 in (183 × 203 cm), a planning size that varies by supplier. Oversize/delicate items may need additional coverage.

Wardrobe Box Calculator

Bulky coats/dresses are a subset of total hanging garments. Each regular garment consumes 1 rail-space unit; each bulky garment consumes 2. Boxes = ceil((total garments + bulky garments) ÷ standard spaces per box). Default 24 spaces on a 24 in / 61 cm reference rail; adjust for your hangers. Reference carton: 24 × 24 × 48 in · approximately 61 × 61 × 122 cm · 16 ft³ / approximately 0.453 m³. This is MoveCalcLab’s planning model, not a universal wardrobe size. Check hanging height and the supplier’s rail rating.

Book Box Calculator

Weight-based estimate: total book weight = count × average book weight; boxes = ceil(total weight ÷ target box weight), with 0 books giving 0 boxes and 0 average weight/count. Reference carton is the Small box shown below. Paperback-heavy: 0.75 lb / 0.34 kg each; Mixed: 1.5 lb / 0.68 kg; Hardcover-heavy: 2.5 lb / 1.13 kg. Weigh a sample or edit the average. This model does not calculate how many books physically fit; check volume separately. Box structural ratings and safe lifting limits vary; the target is your input, not a safety recommendation.

Moving Supplies Budget Calculator

Each subtotal = quantity × your unit price. Add all subtotals, then apply the contingency percentage. Quantities imported from other tools remain editable; bubble wrap is imported as rolls only when a roll length was entered. Check roll dimensions before pricing. Custom items are included in the total. Enter prices in the selected currency. MoveCalcLab does not perform live exchange-rate conversion.

Subtotal = quantity × visible unit price. Add line subtotals, then contingency. User-edited prices round to two decimals; line amounts and contingency round to cents before the total is summed. Imported quantities and custom rows remain editable. Currency is the denomination entered, without FX conversion.

Moving Day Time Calculator

Handling hours = volume in m³ × 0.26 × [1 + 0.12 × total flights of stairs + min(0.35, total carry in feet ÷ 250)] × 2 ÷ handlers. Origin and destination access are added. Handling covers loading and unloading; add entered driving time and a fixed 45-minute buffer. Packing/unpacking is excluded. Model accepts 1–6 handlers; larger crews need a professional model. Carry penalty tops out at 35% and may underestimate extreme access. Zero inventory still includes driving and the fixed buffer.

Movers Needed Calculator

Baseline workload = volume in m³ × 0.24 + heavy items × 0.18 + flights of stairs × 0.45. Crew = ceil(workload × 2 ÷ target handling hours), minimum 2 for positive workload. Zero workload gives 0. Recommendations above 6 display 6+ and require professional assessment. Target means the loading/unloading handling window; driving and packing/unpacking are excluded. Very heavy/awkward means items such as a piano, large safe or stone table; counts do not replace specialist equipment or lifting advice. Long carries and lift delays are not modelled.

Baseline workload = m³ × 0.24 + heavy items × 0.18 + stair flights × 0.45. Crew = ceil(workload × 2 ÷ target hours), minimum 2 for positive workload; zero workload gives 0. Above 6, display 6+. Target hours use 0.5-hour increments, starting at 2; invalid increments are rejected.

Loading Time Calculator

Loading handling only: boxes × 1.2 minutes + furniture × 6 + appliances × 8. Multiply by (1 + stairs × 0.12), then by 2 ÷ helpers. This simple 1–8 helper model assumes work can be shared; congestion can increase time. Unloading, driving, packing, long carries and lift/elevator waits are excluded. Add those separately when planning the full day.

Storage Cost Calculator

Undiscounted rent = monthly rate × months. Promotion saving = monthly rate × min(promotion months, total months) × discount. Rent after promotion + monthly insurance × months + one-time fees = total. Effective monthly cost = total ÷ months. Taxes, lock purchases, deposits, mandatory charges and later rate increases are excluded unless entered in rates/fees. Enter prices in the selected currency. MoveCalcLab does not perform live exchange-rate conversion.

Gross rent = monthly price × months. Promotion saving = monthly price × min(promo months, months) × discount, rounded to cents. Net rent = gross rent − saving. Total = net rent + monthly insurance × months + one-time fees, using cent-rounded line amounts. Effective monthly cost is a rounded average. User-edited prices use their visible two-decimal value; currency selection does not convert rates.

Storage Unit Volume Calculator

Nominal volume = internal length × width × height. Usable volume = nominal volume × stacking efficiency. Easy-access preset uses 60%; densely packed uses 80%. Empty space above low furniture and between irregular items reduces usable volume. Size presets use nominal floor dimensions and an 8 ft / 2.44 m ceiling (exact 8 ft internally); measure the actual unit and retain a route to the door. This is volume, not a guaranteed inventory fit.

Truck Trips Calculator

Usable capacity = nominal vehicle capacity × loading efficiency. Trips = inventory ÷ usable capacity, rounded up. Zero inventory gives 0 trips, 0 average load and 0 spare capacity. Vehicle presets use the same nominal capacities as Moving Truck Size; Custom remains available. Payload, door openings and individual item dimensions are separate constraints. Average load is volume ÷ trips, not a loading plan.

Numeric display and conversions

Counts are whole numbers; currency line amounts use two decimals; hours use one decimal and minutes are whole. Weight totals use one decimal, with up to two for converted per-box operands and small book weights. Lengths and areas use at most two decimals; small box volumes use three in m³. Manual edits commit the normalised visible value as the value used. Presets, imports and unit conversions retain their precise canonical references until edited. Repeated unit switching does not round-trip through displayed text. Rounded numeric arithmetic uses approximately (≈), with accessible wording; equals (=) is reserved for equal visible operands and results. Both storage tools share an exact 8 ft reference, displayed 8 ft / 2.44 m.

Box Weight Calculator

The referenced U-Haul standard Small, Medium and Large cartons are each published as holding up to 65 lb. That is a carton rating, not a recommended average packed weight or a personal lifting limit. Small carton rating · Medium carton rating · Large carton rating

Packed weight = sum of count × assumed packed weight for each type. Default Small/Medium/Large/Wardrobe: 25/30/20/30 lb. These are editable planning assumptions, not empty-carton weights or ratings. Converted per-box values use up to 2 decimals; totals use 1. Rounded arithmetic uses approximately (≈); exact visible arithmetic uses equals (=).

Estimated packed weight = each box count × its editable assumed packed weight, summed across Small, Medium, Large and Wardrobe. Defaults are 25, 30, 20 and 30 lb respectively; these are planning assumptions, not published industry averages, empty carton weights or structural ratings. Displayed conversions and subtotals are rounded; totals use full precision. Include packaging in your weights and weigh sample packed boxes. Large boxes are intended for lighter bulky contents; box rating, handle strength and safe manual lifting depend on supplier, contents and circumstances.

Furniture Volume Calculator

Bounding-box planning volume = maximum packed length × width × height × count, then multiply by (1 + optional packing/shape allowance). This measures the rectangular space occupied, not the object’s solid material volume. Use zero allowance for already padded packed dimensions; add an allowance for protrusions/protection only if not included. Changing in/ft/cm converts current dimensions. Check disassembly, doors and turns separately.

Revision policy

External capacity references should be rechecked periodically and whenever a provider changes its published specifications. Calculators that depend only on user-entered dimensions or prices do not require market-price updates.